Ruben Amorim highlights 'short-term costs' for 'long-term goals'

Ruben Amorim has highlighted the decision to make do with suffering in the short term with the aim of gaining more in the long term, as the Manchester United squad gradually implements his style of play.

He was speaking ahead of United's final match of 2024, as the Reds welcome Newcastle United on Monday 30th December at 21:00 CET.

United find themselves in a troubling position, sitting in 14th in the Premier League, and at the time of writing are 13 points off the Top Four, while just eight points above the relegation zone. United's form since Amorim has taken charge has not improved, despite there being much more intent with the way the Reds are playing, having greater control of matches.

In his comments ahead of Monday's fixture, Amorim said that he knew the pressure that he was getting himself into when choosing the United job, yet the team is on its way to success.

"When I took on this role, I knew I was taking on a significant amount of work. If we are to deliver the long-term changes we want for Manchester United, we need to take it step by step."

"We are looking to implement a new way of playing during the busiest time of the year, so there are short-term costs to our long-term goals."

In fact, the match against Newcastle will be Amorim's 11th in charge of United, despite overseeing his first game just over a month ago. During the busy festive period, United have shifted to his renowned 3-4-2-1 formation and adopted a completely new intensity to their play.

"Players are working hard to absorb and use all the new information and instructions they are receiving. Over time, it will become easier for them, and they will become more comfortable and confident," Amorim said.

Additionally, the Portuguese manager also pointed towards the need to establish a greater link between the first-team and the academy, particularly given the massive amount of potential at United's youth teams right now.

"As well as improving from game to game, we also need to work on longer-term goals such as creating an environment and culture that is conducive to success and working on the connection between our academy and the first-team to develop players with the qualities we need to achieve our big ambitions as a club," he added.

Amorim continued by saying that in recent weeks he has seen enough to suggest that United have the necessary ingredients to succeed. "I remain as confident as I was on my first day here that we will get there," he remarked."

"In the meantime, it is my responsibility to remain calm and ensure that everyone remains united during this time of change," Amorim affirmed.

A win on Monday could potentially take United up to 11th place, earning three points that could be crucial to improve the mood at Old Trafford, especially given recent horrible results at home, particularly the 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest and the 3-0 loss to Bournemouth.